Football: No timetable to raise $50 million or start facilities upgrades for CU

CU's Tyler McCulloch, 87, and Cal's Marc Anthony, 2, battle for the ball late in the game at Folsom Field in Boulder on Sept. 20, 2011. (Paul Aiken / Daily Camera file photo)

Now that University of Colorado officials have announced plans for $170 million in renovations and new construction to athletics facilities, the real work begins.

President Bruce Benson, Chancellor Phil DiStefano, athletic director Mike Bohn and the CU Foundation must find a way to make history here in Boulder.

The athletic department has received only eight donations of $1 million or more in its entire history. Yet, CU is requiring that no less than $50 million be raised in private donations before even the first phase of the project begins.

With that stipulation in place and with no consistent history of generating transformational donations, it could still be years before all four phases of the project even get started let alone completed.

“We've got a great deal of optimism tied with our donor base, the work that we've already put in with our existing donors and potential new donors that we're working on,” Bohn said. “We're confident that we're within a range that is viable and one that is doable, and we want to keep the momentum moving.”

That optimism appears to be based mostly on the results of a feasibility study that CU paid a private company to conduct last year. A final report on the study hasn't been finished yet, but the company told CU officials it believes the athletic department can reasonably expect to raise $50 million in donations without specifying a timetable for doing so. The company based its opinion on interviews it conducted with 50 donors or potential donors.

DiStefano said the school isn't relying solely on the feasibility study to move forward.

“They think it's feasible that we can raise $50 million,” DiStefano said. “I think now what we have to do is I have to work closely with the CU Foundation and do the due diligence — I haven't seen the report yet from them — and make sure that's accurate.

“I think they will say it's feasible but we have to do our due diligence and make sure that we can raise the $50 million.”

The tricky element of raising the money for the facilities upgrades is doing so without taking away from donations the department already counts on each year to help fund scholarships for more than 300 student-athletes and other elements of supporting CU sports teams. CU raised $11.7 million in donations for athletics in the 2011-12 fiscal year, the most recent year for which figures were available.

CU administrators and fundraising personnel now plan to begin visiting donors to share their plans in detail and answer any questions donors might have in hopes of beginning to raise the money to start the project.

Bohn said CU has already received donations toward the $50 million but he would not say how much it has received. CU hopes to unveil all elements of its athletics fundraising campaign within the next 30 days. Bohn said the campaign will feature an approach that also involves the little guy.

Most fans and boosters can't afford to make the kind of game-changing donations CU needs right now, but they can all help accomplish the goal, Bohn said.

DiStefano and Bohn were unwilling to speculate on any time frame for beginning construction on the first phase, a new academic center for student-athletes beneath the club level on the east side of Folsom Field as well as taking precautions against shifting ground beneath the north side of the east stands. The cost of that first phase is estimated at $39 million.

“At least we have a plan now,” DiStefano said. “You're not going to sell anybody without a plan. They're going to want to see what you're going to do. I think our donors are going to will take a look at the long-range plan that we have to do these different elements. This first one I think is very important and we said we were going to do an upgrade in facilities. I think we need to move forward on that.”

The only firm deadline looming is the need to submit a program plan to the regents for the first phase by Dec. 1 of this year to satisfy a clause in football coach Mike MacIntyre's contract. If CU misses that deadline it would enable to MacIntyre to leave for another job without owing CU any money in a buyout.

DiStefano and Bohn revealed the first four phases of upgrades Wednesday in Colorado Springs at the Board of Regents meeting. Some fans might question why the academic center is the first priority and the expansion of the Dal Ward Center and enclosing the north end of the stadium is second. Fans have wanted to see the school build a permanent indoor facility for years.

CU won't get to that until the third phase of the plan and it is expected to be the most costly.

Bohn and DiStefano said there are several reasons for building the academic center first. Much of the infrastructure for it is already in place on the east side of the stadium and increasing academic assistance for student-athletes is a priority in an era of tightening Academic Progress Rate standards and increasing NCAA eligibility requirements.

“The academic one is consistent with our commitment to continuing to show results there,” Bohn said “It's pivotal to be able to have that as a key aspect in our recruiting efforts and our ability to continue to recruit the top student athletes in the country. The entire package is important, but academic facility is one that already has a shell and that we can move the fastest on.”

CU will have to relocate family housing units to make room for the indoor facility and a new soccer-lacrosse field. That will take time and plenty of collaboration with the rest of campus.

When CU first moved to the Pac-12 Conference three years ago and its new conference partners agreed to share conference revenue equally, DiStefano said it would be up to CU fans and donors to make the difference for the athletic department in the future by buying tickets and making donations. DiStefano said that continues to be the case now more than ever.

“In my state of the campus address, I talked about increasing fundraising for the Boulder campus from $50 million to $100 million,” he said. “Athletics will play a major role in doing that along with the schools and colleges. So that is one of my goals is to increase private fundraising and spending my time along with Mike and coach (MacIntyre) and certainly president Benson out there trying to raise that money. I mean, other universities have done it.”

MacIntyre feels Colorado is capable of making run at bowl gameCU BUFFS FALL CAMPWhen: 29 practices beginning Wednesday morning 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices are open to the media and public next week. Full Story

It didn't take long for Denver music observers to notice Plume Varia. Husband and wife Shon and Cherie Cobbs formed the band only two years ago, but after about a year they started finding themselves on best-of lists and playing the scene's top venues. Full Story